A long-running dispute around content moderation has taken a sharp turn — and this time, it’s hitting jobs directly.

In Nairobi, more than 1,000 workers are now set to lose employment after Meta Platforms pulled the plug on a major contract with outsourcing firm Sama. The move comes while both companies are already locked in a legal battle over working conditions that’s been dragging since 2022.

Sama confirmed it received official notice from Meta to end a key operation at its Nairobi office. Soon after, the company issued layoff notices affecting around 1,108 employees. The tone of their statement was careful — saying support would be provided — but the impact is clear. A large chunk of workforce is suddenly in uncertainty.

What makes this situation heavier is the background.

These aren’t just typical tech jobs. The workers involved were part of Meta’s content moderation system — the people who sit behind screens filtering some of the internet’s darkest material. From violent clips to disturbing abuse content, their job was to clean up platforms for users across Africa.

And that’s exactly where the controversy began.

Back in 2023, hundreds of former moderators filed a case accusing Sama of exploitation. Low pay, long hours, and more importantly, lack of proper mental health support for the kind of content they were forced to watch daily. Some described exposure to extremely disturbing videos without adequate counselling access.

The case hasn’t been resolved yet. The group is seeking massive compensation — around $1.6 billion — and the legal fight is still ongoing.

Sama, on its side, has pushed back. The company has claimed it paid workers significantly above minimum wage and provided mental health support systems. Meta also maintained that its contractors are required to meet industry standards and offer on-site professional help.

But now, with this contract ending, the story is shifting again.

Sama has already stepped away from content moderation work and moved more toward AI data labeling — another growing space in tech. Still, this sudden scale of layoffs shows how fragile outsourced operations can be, especially when tied to big tech decisions.

The bigger picture here isn’t just about one contract ending.

It reflects how companies like Meta are quietly reshaping their operations — moving away from certain models while dealing with legal pressure, cost structures, and changing priorities in AI.

For the workers in Nairobi though, it’s much more immediate.

A job lost, a case still unresolved, and a system that’s now under even more scrutiny than before.